Almost Normal
by M. Rose
Summary: Her life was almost normal.


Title: Almost Normal  
Author: M. Rose  
Email: mrv1snap@aol.com  
Distribution: Anywhere  
Genres: Story, Sam AKA X5-453  
Content: post and pre-ep for "She Ain't Heavy"  
Rating: PG  
Spoilers: She Ain't Heavy  
Summary: Her life was almost normal.   
Thanks: To Lenore for quick beta.  
Disclaimer: All characters who appear in this story belong to   
their respective creators, including Cameron/Eglee Productions   
and 20th Century Studios. No money is being made from the use   
of these characters.  
Want to read my other stories? Visit my website at   
http://mrosefic.homestead.com  
  
  
  
Almost Normal  
by M. Rose  
  
~*~*~  
  
She glanced at the piece of paper again. She had committed the   
address to memory when it was first handed to her, but it was   
comforting...calmed her frayed nerves looking at it. She was   
getting out here. Correction...THEY were getting out of here.   
They were heading into Canada where a new life could be had. Of   
course, that didn't mean they were going to be out of harm's   
way. Looking over her shoulder had become second nature anyway,   
but at least it wouldn't be in the pits of White's war.   
  
She noticed movement coming from the back seat and smiled a   
little at the sleeping form. She shook her head as she thought   
about everything that had occurred since being dragged out her   
home in the last 48 hours.   
  
From the moment that she heard about Manticore's destruction,   
she knew the world was going to change dramatically and not for   
the better. But she ignored her instincts to get the hell out   
of Dodge. She couldn't just up and leave her family, even if it   
was initially created out of deceit. No. She was right where   
she wanted to be. Right where she HAD to be. She was very good   
at staying under the radar. All she had to do was not make   
waves. She was a soldier after all; it wasn't a hard thing to   
do. Everything went as planned ... she was happy ... until her   
life was once again turned up side down.  
  
All courtesy of X5-452.   
  
That was the second time her genetic twin or clone or whatever   
they were, had messed up her life. When 452 and other X5's   
escaped ten years ago, the ones left behind paid the price.   
Hauled up into psy-ops for six excruciating months of continuous   
testing and evaluations. All the while THEY were out there,   
living the life.   
  
Anger seeped through her veins every time she thought about all   
that needless pain and suffering she had to endure. She decided   
to use it to her advantage and work harder to prove her   
superiors wrong.   
  
She didn't get her taste of freedom for eight more years. Even   
if it was under the cloak of Manticore, this was her first   
mission and she was going to do as she was taught.   
  
She remembered what the others who had missions on the outside   
had told her about the filth and degradation in the city. It   
didn't seem to bother her though, she didn't know why and didn't   
care. She concentrated on her mission. That's all that was   
important.   
  
She was supposed to get inside information on a biochemical   
company called Penske Corp, but this wasn't a simple break in   
and take kind of deal. She was there to observe and report on   
genetic research led by a brilliant young doctor named Michael   
McCallester. Once her superiors had enough information, she   
would make sure the good doctor and his research never came to   
light.   
  
Getting close to the doctor was simple. Manticore saw to it   
that she had all the appropriate credentials and she made sure   
there was a slot suddenly open for a biochemist.   
  
Dr. Samantha Cook was now an employee of Penske Corp.  
  
It was too easy.   
  
======  
  
Every once and a while Anna, a fellow scientist, would invite   
her to hang at a local bar after work. She declined at first.   
She considered such interactions as mere distractions. Anna   
never stopped though. Realizing that she should blend into   
society a little or her co-worker might get suspicious, she   
accepted the next time she was asked, much to Anna's delight.   
  
She discovered she actually liked this woman. Anna was   
intelligent without being snobbish unlike most of the drones at   
Penske. And she was easy to talk to as well as providing sage   
advice.   
  
Living in a modest apartment, had a friend to hang with and even   
a pet. Well, sort of. A stray cat ended up on her balcony one   
day, and as much as she tried to shoo the beast away, only to   
have it come back a few minutes later. She finally gave up   
trying and just let the black feline stay.   
  
She named him Zero.   
  
The more her life resembled normality, the more she didn't want   
the mission to end. But she had no say in the matter and would   
just bury those feelings away -- she wasn't supposed to have   
any.  
  
She was on her way out the office one day when someone bumped   
right into her. She was annoyed by the action and was about to   
add voice to her feelings when her annoyance quickly turned into   
sheer panic as the folders she was carrying flew out of her   
hands. The woman who collided with her apologized profusely and   
started to help pick up the papers that had scattered across the   
floor. The last thing she needed was for her cover to be blown,   
so she grabbed the papers herself and waved the woman away. A   
hand grasped her arm and before she had time to think she   
twisted it away and pushed the intruder against the wall. She   
realized in a second that it was Dr. Michael McCallester and   
immediately released her hold on him. He was dazed by her   
strength and she joked that she had been taking karate   
lessons...for protection of course.   
  
She excused herself and hurried out of the building and cursed   
herself for losing her cool.   
  
She couldn't make any more mistakes.   
  
Two weeks later, she was on her way to meet Anna when something   
interesting caught her eye. It was a guy in obvious need of   
some mechanical help. As she drove her bike up closer to the   
individual, she noticed what an attractive man he was in his   
tight blue jeans, black turtleneck and brown leather jacket.   
She couldn't get a good look at his face since it was partially   
blocked by the hood of his car. She heard a thud and then the   
man cussing to her amusement. She should just ignore him and   
continue on her way, but she didn't. Instead, she asked if he   
needed any help. The mystery man backed away from the steamy   
hood to reveal his face. Her grin grew serious when she saw who   
it was ... Dr. McCallester.   
  
She got over her shock quickly and scanned his form from head to   
toe. Well, she WAS supposed to observe the subject and what a   
subject he was.   
  
She unconsciously licked her lips.   
  
Who'd figure under that lab coat and glasses lay such a hottie?   
  
She resisted a smirk when she noticed that he was checking her   
out as well.   
  
His radiator was busted and she offered to give him a ride home.   
He invited her inside, but she declined.   
  
On her way to meet her friend, she wondered what he looked like   
in the buff...  
  
Over the next few months they saw each other more and more   
outside of work. Like Anna, he was highly intelligent and easy   
to talk to. He was good to her ... made her feel normal, not   
just some genetically enhanced freak. Their attraction grew   
every time they were together.   
  
She was also taken with his little boy, Kevin. Michael's wife   
died when the boy was a baby, so it had only been the two of   
them.   
  
The more she got to know both Michael and Kevin, the more she   
hated what she was a part of.   
  
She didn't know why.  
  
It wasn't so easy after all.   
  
After a night of dinner and dancing, they came over to her   
apartment. Michael couldn't keep his hands off her as they   
stepped through the front door. As she tossed her keys onto the   
kitchen counter the phone rang. She figured it was Anna wanting   
to go out. She would definitely have to decline. Michael was   
now nuzzling down the length of her neck, making her giggle as   
she picked up the receiver.   
  
In one moment her world turned upside down.   
  
"Mission complete. Eliminate the subject."  
  
======  
  
Michael noticed the change in her immediately and asked what was   
wrong. She told him that she suddenly felt ill and blamed the   
food from the restaurant they had just come from. She didn't   
completely lie. She was sick to her stomach -- it was just from   
something else.   
  
Why was she feeling this way? What was her problem? Wasn't   
this what she'd been training for all her life? Dammit, she was   
a soldier. She could do this.   
  
The wretched feelings that began in the pit of her stomach grew   
ten fold by the next day when she arrived at work. She   
pretended that things were fine. Nothing had changed, but   
everything had -- she just didn't know why.   
  
She confessed to her friend what she was feeling without going   
into too much detail. She could feel her face turn red when   
Anna started grinning like a fool. It was a mistake to go to   
her. She got up to leave when her friend placed a hand on her   
shoulder and said, "You're head over heels over the guy." This   
got her attention and she sat back down. To her questioning   
gaze Anna added, "You're in love, Sam."  
  
The words sounded foreign to her ears and she shook her head in   
denial. No way. That's ridiculous. She couldn't possibly be   
in love.   
  
Could she?   
  
What else would explain the feelings of dread that pulsed   
throughout her entire body every time she thought of what she   
was about to do?   
  
Maybe Manticore would make her forget afterwards.  
  
A bitch of headache ensued. She needed to think. To clear her   
clouded mind.   
  
She went for a long drive on her bike.   
  
It didn't help.   
  
She didn't know what to do.   
  
The next night she invited Michael over to her apartment for a   
home cooked meal to make up for the night before. He brought   
over a bottle of pre-pulse wine and a single beautiful red rose.   
Those were not only impossible to find, but ridiculously   
expensive.   
  
Standing at the doorway, he smiled -- her heart sank.  
  
She was cutting up tomatoes to add to the pasta dish she was   
creating and when she turned around to rinse off the knife an   
opportunity presented itself -- he was opening the wine with his   
back towards her.   
  
She approached him ever so slowly with the knife in her hand.   
All it took was one swift move and it would be over.   
  
Mission complete.   
  
She thought of Kevin and how he would lose the only parent he   
ever had, but she shook off that thought. He was a tough little   
kid. He'd adjust to the world like everyone else.   
  
He'd be fine.   
  
Her arm stopped mid-air.   
  
She couldn't do it.  
  
As if sensing her, Michael turned to face her and with the deft   
speed that only a genetically enhanced human could produce, she   
hid the deadly object behind her.   
  
He stared at her for a long time and she knew. She knew she   
couldn't do it.   
  
Not now. Not ever.   
  
During dinner he proposed.   
  
She accepted...and waited for her short time of happiness to   
end. No matter what happened, she wasn't going to go down   
without a fight.   
  
After one day, nothing. No phone call. Her paranoia was at an   
all time high. Surely they would come after her by now.   
  
By the second day, she had heard the news about Manticore -- or   
as the reporters would like to believe, a VA hospital.   
  
She couldn't believe that someone actually took down the place.   
No. That couldn't be real. They would be coming after her any   
minute now.   
  
They never did.   
  
Days turned into weeks and weeks into months.   
  
Realization set in -- she was free.  
  
With the destruction of Manticore came her freedom. The heavy   
weight of her assignment lifted off her shoulders.  
  
Shortly after, she and Michael married.   
  
The three of them became the family she never had.   
  
She was happy.   
  
======  
  
Before the human eye could ascertain, she could tell the colors   
in the sky were changing. Morning was fast approaching and with   
the first rays of daylight came the harsh realities it would   
bring.   
  
Michael would wake soon and would ask questions. She never   
wanted that moment to come, but had no way to prevent it. She   
wouldn't lie. She owed him that much. She would tell him   
everything and hope ... pray that he and Kevin would still want   
her.   
  
She didn't want lose the people that made her truly happy.   
  
*You know, if Manticore hadn't gone down, you wouldn't be with   
them. You know who took them down.*  
  
Okay, so she maybe she would have to thank 452 ... someday.   
  
  
~end~  
  
  
Authors note: In the beginning of "She Ain't Heavy," Sam tells   
White that she was already out of Manticore when it went down.   
It got me thinking as to what she was doing for two years.   
  
Feedback greatly appreciated at mrv1snap@aol.com 


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